London: "Let us brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves
that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for a thousand years men will still say,
This was their finest hour." With this inspirational peroration Winston
Churchill today ended a speech in the House of Commons. It was later repeated in a
broadcast to the nation. The Prime Minister faced up squarely to the chance that Britain
might now have to fight alone and he told MPs: "Our professional advisers of the
three services unitedly advise that we should continue the war and that there are good and
reasonable hops of final victory."

The Prime Minister said that it was not yet certain that Frances
military resistance to the Germans was over. Britain had not felt able to release the
French from their treaty obligation not to make a separate peace. But whatever happens, he
continued: "We will fight on, if necessary for years." The Battle of Britain was
about to begin and Hitler knew that he "will have to break us in these islands or
lose the war."

Mr Churchill said that 1,250,000 men are now under arms in Britain.
Behind them are 500,000 Local Defence Volunteers, and soldiers from the Dominions have
also arrived. These forces include seven out of every eight soldiers originally sent to
France, while many of the remainder are still operating alongside French forces with
considerable success. As for the immediate future, the Prime Minister reminded the House
of Commons that Britain has home defence forces which are now expanding rapidly, with
"very large additions" to their weaponry expected soon. He then said that the
survival of Christian civilisation as the well as the continuity of British life must
depend on the outcome of the Battle of Britain. He warned the United States that, if
Germany wins, then the whole world, including America, "will sink into the abyss of
anew dark age". The Commons decided to go into secret session before the end of the
week for further discussion of the dire military situation. Churchill told MPs that the
scope of the debate would not be too restricted. He was insistent that the service chiefs
are prepared for enemy parachute landings and other ingenious invasion tricks, including,
he said, help from a "fifth column".

FRANCE: St. Nazaire: Operation 'Aerial': The Cunard White Star liner
'Lancastria' (16,234
GRT, Captain Rudolphe Sharpe, Master) is sunk off Saint Nazaire with the loss of nearly 3,000 men. Five aircraft
from KG30 (Kampfgeschwader 30) flying
Do-17's, using the SC-500 high-explosive ordnance, dive-bombed and machine-gunned the liner as she lay at anchor. Survivors claimed later
that the Germans had continued to fire after the ship had sunk and men were struggling in
the water. The liner had been converted into a troopship. Most of the passengers were
troops from the BEF and the RAF returning to England. In addition there were Church Army
workers and a number of French people fleeing the German occupation. The
horror was not over with the sinking.

The Luftwaffe aircraft continued to circle. Diving out of the sky, the planes
strafed the survivors in the water and on the sinking ship. Some aircraft
dropped incendiaries into the water in an attempt to light the free-flowing oil
which leaked from the doomed LANCASTRIA".

This is Britain's worst maritime disaster. She arrived off St. Nazaire at
0400 on 17 Jun and anchored in the Charpentier Roads. Destroyers and other craft
were used to ferry people out to the troopship. An estimated 6,000 servicemen
and a number of civilian women and children when onboard, although some reports
indicate that as many as 9,000 people may have been in the ship when it was hit
by four bombs as approximately 16 -00. One bomb was a direct hit, which went
down the ship's large single funnel and exploded in the engine room. The ship
capsized at 16 -15 and sank soon afterwards. The bomb explosion in the engine
room ruptured one of the ship's bunkers and flooded the sea with heavy fuel oil,
making rescue operations extremely difficult. Fewer than 2,500 people survived.
The large liner Oronsay (20,000 GRT) was also bombed but she remained afloat and
reached port safely. News of the disaster was suppressed by the British
Government because of the impact it might have had on the country's morale. It
was announced over a month later. Captain Sharpe survived the sinking and went
on to become the master of the liner Laconia (19,695 GRT). He was with her when
she was sunk on 12 Sep 42 by U-156,
Kptlt Werner Hartenstein, CO, off the coast of West Africa. Captain Sharpe was
among the more than 2,000 lost in this event, making it the second worst British
maritime disaster. See
http://www.lancastria-association.org.uk

Brooke continues supervising the embarkation of his forces
using the French telephone system to talk with subordinate commanders. This
afternoon he learned learns from London that a French-German armistice might be
concluded at any moment and the he and his troops might be interned under terms
of that armistice. In the evening at St. Nazaire he, and his party of 14,
embarked on H.M.T. Cambridgeshire which was to be part of a convoy escort. (Jay
Stone)

Guderian reaches Pontarlier almost to the Swiss Border. German forces reach Brittany,
Loire and Normandy.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The French sink an Italian submarine off Oran in Algeria.

This sub was the Provana, the first Italian submarine to be sunk in the
Mediterranean, which went down after being rammed. Five more Italian boats
would be lost in the Mediterranean before the end of June (and four more in
the Red Sea), making it a tough month for the Italian "somergibili." (Andy
Etherington and Mike Yaklich)

U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Stalin sends troops to occupy Estonia and Latvia in order to
"pre-empt joint defence measures against the USSR."

FRENCH INDOCHINA: Japan starts a blockade to cut off military supplies to China.

U.S.A.: The French surrender raises concerns in the U.S. about the French
fleet but French Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin advises the
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to France that the fleet "would never be
surrendered to Germany."

The Chief of Naval Operations asks Congress for the money to build a
two-ocean Navy.

ICELAND: The 146th Brigade
arrive to reinforce the 147th Brigade of the British occupying forces. (Dave
Hornford)

GERMANY: Hitler decides on June 22, 1941 for the invasion of
Russia, Operation Barbarossa.

London:

This evening the British public was let into the secret of radio-location (also known
as RDF, or radar) for the first time. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, who last week
took over RAF Coastal Command, paid tribute to Robert Watson-Watt, the scientist who
pioneered the system which did much to help win the Battle of Britain. He gave no
technical details, but he did say that it was a system of rays "which are unaffected
by fog or darkness. Any aircraft or ship in the path of this ray immediately sends back a
signal to the detecting station." Watson-Watt himself, who has been made a CB and
Fellow of the Royal Society, insists: "I am just an ordinary man."

FINLAND: Helsinki: Finland today ordered general mobilisation of its armed forces, effective in
three days time. Notices on street corners order all reservists up to the age of 44 to
report for duty.

Tension is running high here as rumours that Hitler is preparing to march on the Soviet
Union sweep the city. There is no doubt that if the Germans do attack Russia the Finns
will fight alongside them. The bitter memories of the "Winter War" in which the
Russians crushed Finland despite its gallant defence run too deep for any other course;
there are reports that the 10,000 German troops who arrives in Finland recently,
ostensibly on their way to northern Norway, are still in Finland preparing for a joint
thrust with the Finns at Leningrad.

The Finnish army, with its knowledge of the country and ability to use the terrain,
would also be able to hold the Russian army in the north while the Germans launched a
Blitzkrieg towards Moscow. Many in Britain will be sad to see the Finns allying with
Hitler, but hatred of Russia outweighs all other considerations.

EGYPT: Cairo:

A grim faced Commander-in-Chief flew in from the Western Desert today and
dictated a
cable to London which began: "I regret to report the failure of 'Battleaxe'."
General Wavell's first major counter-offensive has ended in defeat, with 91 British tanks
destroyed against German losses of 25. On London, Churchill - who had sent a fast convoy
of reinforcement tanks under the code name "Tiger" and had high hopes for
Battleaxe - took the news calmly. He has already decided to replace Wavell.

Wavell, too, had been optimistic, although he had grave doubts about the mechanical
capacity of many of his tanks. He had not allowed for Rommel's intelligence which
forewarned of the attack; or the devastating use by the Afrika Korps of the 88mm "ack
ack" gun as an anti-tank weapon. With armoured support, Indian troops fought hard to
take the Halfaya Pass; but a hastily improvised Panzer counter-attack was the decisive
factor.

The British forces by now are 30 miles east of the position they started out from three
days ago and morale is low. Although losses are not large, less than a thousand men
killed, wounded and missing, 91 tanks had been lost and 80% of the British tanks were out
of action. The Germans lost 12 tanks.

LIBYA: Halfaya Pass: In the evening the Germans advanced upon the British
forcing them to
retire, firing as they left. Within 15 minutes the 2nd RTR had only five tanks left and
they were unable to hold the rapid advance of the Germans. With the enemy occupation if
Sidi Suleiman the action ended.

SYRIA: Concerned that the French counter-attack
may swing westward and cut off 7 Division in the mountains of Lebanon, Lt-Gen
Lavarack orders 21 Brigade (Brig Stevens) to halt the coastal advance and detach
a battalion to reinforce Jezzine. On the Eastern axis 2nd Bn Queens attack from
Deraa and drive French forces out of El Quneitra. An initial thrust by Free
French Senegalese against Ezraa is repulsed but a second attempt drives out the
French forces and take 160 prisoners. In the central sector the French again
attack Jezzine but are driven off by elements of 25 Aust Bde. 70 weary and
hungry Vichy Senegalese troops are taken prisoner. 2/2 Pioneer and 2/25 Bns
under Brig Berryman attack Merdjayoun but are driven back by fierce French
resistance. (Michael Alexander)

United States and Canada set up Joint Economic Committees. (“ . . .to study
and to report to their respective governments on the possibilities of (1)
effecting a more economic, more efficient, and more coordinated utilization of
the combined resources of the two countries in the production of defence
requirements (to the extent that this is not now being done) and (2) reducing
the probable post-war economic dislocation consequent upon the changes which the
economy in each country is presently undergoing"

Destroyer HMCS St Clair is heavily
damaged in a collision with the oiler Clam soon after joining the Newfoundland
Escort Force. St Clair is diverted to St. John's for repairs that will last
until 2nd December 1941. It is highly unlikely that Clam and St Clair were engaged
in underway refuelling at the time of the collision. Clam was used for 'afloat tankage'
and for shuttling fuel to St. John's from Halifax. Fuelling was done
alongside the oilers while they lay either at a berth or at mooring buoys. This
was also the RN practice at Greenock.

U.S.A.: Washington:
President Roosevelt">Roosevelt has ordered all 24 German consulates in the USA to shut by 15 July and
all consular staff to be expelled. Diplomats in the embassy here are not affected.

Although US-German relations are deteriorating generally, the administration complains
that the consulates are not being shut down for that reason but because they were being
used for espionage and fifth-column activities "wholly outside the scope of their
legitimate duties." The reason why the administration did not take this step sooner
is that it is bound to lead the Germans to close US consulates, which are useful listening
posts inside Europe.

In the U.S., baseball star Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees extends
his hitting streak to 30 games in a row in a game against the Chicago White
Sox. This breaks the team record held by Roger Peckinpaugh and Earl Coombs.

NORTH AFRICA: The British 4th Armoured Brigade
loses 30% of its tanks in an attack on Sidi
Rezegh.

JAPAN: American diplomatic staff
today board the Asama Maru at Yokohama. They have been interned in the US
embassy compound since the outbreak of war. They had access to the Japanese
media and one small radio, until being allowed to leave today.

39 year old Park Soowan is killed by police during an
assassination attempt on Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. Later Ken Inukai is
arrested and charged with financing and abetting the assassination attempt.
(Lois Shapley Bassen and Sharon Domier)(132
and 133)

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: In the Aleutians, a Kiska Harbor bombing mission by the
USAAF's 11th Air Force is cancelled due to weather as is a patrolling mission by
heavy bombers.

CANADA: Fairmile HMC ML 080
commissioned.

Ordered, CT TANAC tugs, a total of 265 of these vessels ordered in Canada
during WW II, all were completed including those underway when the war ended.
There were two distinct styles, 35 wooden hulled and the other 230 were welded
steel. They were all diesel powered and fitted with a variety of engines,
Fairbanks Morse and Vivian being the most common. At first the British Government
ordered them direct but most were in fact ordered and paid for by Canada under the
'Mutual Aid Board' concept. Deliveries started in January 1943 and some stragglers
were completed in early 1946. The builders were: a. Central Bridge Company,
Trenton, ON, 156 steel units. b. Canadian Bridge Company, Walkerville ON, 69
steel units. c. Russell Brothers Industries Ltd, Owen Sound, ON. 5 steel units
(see below) d. Smith and Rhuland, Lunenburg NS, 10 wooden units. e. Industrial
Shipping Ltd. Mahone Bay, 25 wooden units. TANAC units built were: a. Canadian
Bridge built #1 to 30, 51 to 60, and 101 to 129. b. Central Bridge built 31 to 45,
51 to 60, 66 to 85, 130 to 250. c. Russell Brothers built 46 to 50. (They were
to build 51 to 60 but these ten units were later transferred to Canadian Bridge
allowing Russell to concentrate on Glen and Ville class tugs) d. Smith and Rhuland
built 96 to 100 and 261 to 265. e. Industrial Shipping built 61 to 65, 86 to 95
and
251 to 260. The tugs were sent all over the world, about 38 served in the RN,
(last one in naval service No.83, sold Aug 79) The TANAC tugs ended up in just
about every Port you can think of. The last 50 vessels ordered were not
completed at the end of the war. They were all completed and sold by the War
Assets Disposal Corporation. Fifteen were sold to China and most of the balance
remained in Canada. The wooden tugs were somewhat different in size, being
longer, at 67.7'x 16.5'x7' and generally about 57grt. The wooden tugs also varied
in size between the two building yards by a few inches in one direction or
another. Wooden vessels are a lot harder to hold to standard dimensions than
steel. The steel tugs also changed somewhat over the years in which they were
built. The last group of 50 (35 steel and 15 wooden) had a reduced registered
depth, at 6.5' in depth and 50 grt versus the 7.8' deep, 65grt versions. The
change only seems to apply to the steel versions. It is not thought that the
hulls were actually different on the outside but the measurement of tonnage is
taken to the top of the floors in a vessel so deeper floors would in fact reduce
the registered depth and hence the tonnage. It doesn't make sense but that is how
it was done. They were actually given a slightly different name convention, (TANAC
V 222 as an example. The V meant a Vivian engine was fitted versus the Fairbanks
Morse engines fitted in the earlier hulls. The Vivian engined required deeper
floors to get the engine high enough in the hull to maintain the shaft line and
this triggered a reduction in the calculated tonnage. Vivian engines are a
4-cycle engine and have a greater height dimension than the Fairbanks-Morse
engines, which are 2 cycle. Both engines have the same piston stroke, but the Vivians cylinder heads are higher, because of the valve mechanisms in the head,
the Fairbanks-Morse had no valves in the heads, because of their 2-cycle design.
Which may account for the different deck levels and registered tonnage. TANAC tugs
prenamed "LAC" were actually some of the earlier ones built and they were all
originally registered in England, then brought back to Canada years later. McKeil
Marine had 4 of these tugs in service, although they have been modified and repowered. They are (1) LAC COMO (ex HALIFAX), (2) LAC ERIE (ex TANAC 74), (3)
LAC MANITOBA (ex MANITOBA), (4) LAC VANCOUVER (ex VANCOUVER). The Irving Company
at one time had the IRVING ALDER (ex TORONTO) and the IRVING POPLAR (ex TANAC 42).
DOT had the TANAC V 222. Others were COLINETTE (ex LAC OTTAWA) owed by
Waterman's Services Ltd, Toronto, still more LAC St LOUIS (ex HAMILTON), LAC
QUEBEC (ex LAC MICHIGAN). A Capt J.E. McQueen had a contract to deliver CT tugs
to different ports, during the WW.II. They would have a crew on each tug and would
follow the leader to New York (via the ErieCanal) or to Chicago and down the
Mississippi River. Then were then loaded on ship's and sent all over the world

U.S.A.: Japanese, German and Italian diplomatic staff
today left the US on board the Swedish liner
Gripsholm. They have been on board
since June 11th. Prior to that they were interned at Greenbrier, a luxury resort
owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in the Allegheny Mountains of West
Virginia. They enjoyed access to US media and each other.

The development of Pelican, an
antisubmarine guided missile, was undertaken by the National defence Research Committee
with the US Navy's Bureau of Ordnance sponsorship. This device consisted of a glide bomb
which could automatically home on a radar beam reflected from the target.

The U.S. Navy
awards a contract to Goodyear for the design and construction of a prototype model M
scouting and patrol non-rigid airship with 50 percent greater range and volume, 625,000
cubic feet (17,698 cubic meters) than the K Class airship. Four model M airships were
procured and placed in service during World War II.

The German submarine U-202 lands four German agents/saboteurs at Ponte Vedra Beach
south of Jacksonville, Florida. These agents are part of the team that
landed on Long Island on 13 June.

YANK, the weekly magazine for the U.S. armed services, begins
publication.

The War Department announces that it will not “accept for
service with the armed forces, Japanese or persons of Japanese extraction,
regardless of citizenship status or other factors”. (Gene Hanson)

Minesweeper USS Staff launched.

Destroyer USS Mervine commissioned.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: After parting company
with convoy HG.74, the British destroyer HMS
WILD SWAN is damaged in an air attack by Ju.87's and sinks after colliding with
a Spanish fishing vessel (three of which also sank after being hit by aircraft)
south of Bantry Bay 49 52N, 10 44W. (Alex Gordon)(108)

A mine, laid by U-701,
sinks the US merchant ship SANTORE, a collier, off Virginia,
killing three of the crew. At 1348, the Santore struck a mine laid on 11 June by U-701
in the Chesapeake Bay. The ship was manoeuvring into her position in Convoy
KS-511 when a explosion occurred on the port side and extensively damaged the
#1, #2 and #3 side tanks and the #1 and #2 holds. The vessel was quickly
flooded, developed a list of 90° to port and sank rapidly. The eight officers,
29 crewmen and nine armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, two .50cal
and two .30cal guns) abandoned ship on one raft and by jumping overboard because
no lifeboats could be launched due to the sharp list. Three crewmen were lost.
The survivors were picked up after 30 minutes by US Coast guard vessels and
landed at Little Creek, Virginia. The wreck of Santore was sold in August 1954
for scrapping.

About 1300, the unescorted Moira was hit by one torpedo from
U-158 off Corpus Christi and
was then sunk by gunfire after the crew had abandoned ship. One crewmember was
lost and three were injured. The survivors in two lifeboats were found by a
fishing boat the next day and towed to Port Isabel, Texas. On 20 Aug 1942, the
master, William Thorsen, took over the command of the Frontenac, which was
torpedoed and badly damaged by
U-436 on 27 Oct 1942.

At 0450, U-158
fired two torpedoes at the unescorted San Blas, the first missed the stern but
the second struck at the port quarter. The explosion destroyed the stern, blew
away the #4 hatch cover and the mainmast, stopped the engines and caused the
ship to sink by the stern with a heavy starboard list after four minutes. The
master, 26 crewmembers and three armed guards of the 39 crewmembers and five
armed guards on board were lost. The survivors had no time to launch any
lifeboats and abandoned ship on four rafts. They were picked up on 29 June by a
US Navy Catalina flying boat in
position 28°01N/96°02W and landed at Corpus Christi. The master Anders Weesgaard
had already experienced another sinking when his last ship, the Ontario was sunk
by U-507.

U-129 sinks
an armed US freighter off the north coast of Cuba. At 2303, the unescorted
Millinocket was hit by one torpedo from U-129,
while steaming on a nonevasive course at 9 knots off La Isabela, Cuba. The
torpedo struck between the #4 and #5 holds above 12 feet below the waterline.
The explosion opened a large hole in the hull, blew some men overboard and
killed the chief gunner. The ship sank rapidly on even keel within three
minutes. No distress signals were sent and the guns were never manned (the ship
was armed with one 6pdr and two .30cal guns). Only one lifeboat and two rafts
were launched, while some men had to jump into the water to escape. Witt
questioned the second assistant engineer about the name of the ship, tonnage,
cargo, origin and destination. He also gave them a first aid kit for the wounded
men when the engineer asked him for one. The master, three officers, five
crewmen and two armed guards of the seven officers, 22 crewmen and six armed
guards on board were lost, most of them by drowning. The survivors were picked
up by a Cuban motor boat and two Cuban fishing boats about 13 hours later and
landed at La Isabela and taken to Sagua La Grande, where the eight injured were
treated at the hospital. (Dave Shirlaw and Jack McKillop)

PACIFIC OCEAN: During the night of 17/18 June, four B-24 Liberators of the
USAAF's Seventh Air Force take off from Funafuti Atoll, Ellice Islands at 2-hour
intervals to bomb Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. One aborts and another
fails to find the target. The two B-24s bombing the target hit runways, silence
an AA battery, and blow up an ammunition dump. The raid is a diversion in
support of the first night photo-reconnaissance mission by the VII Bomber
Command, during which three B-24s photograph Mille Atoll in the Caroline Islands
and nearby waters in the Marshall Islands.

UNITED KINGDOM: London: Germany's long-threatened
pilot-less planes or flying bombs are now falling thick and fast on London and
south-east England. They first arrived four days ago, but a full-scale attack
was only announced yesterday by Herbert Morrison, who claimed that damage was
"relatively small". No so: it is now becoming severe. According to
figures issued at 6am today, 18 people have died and 166 have been injured in
flying-bomb explosions since the first six casualties in Bethnal Green, in
London, on 13 June. Yesterday 73 fell on Greater London, and today 24 people
died in a single blast in a London pub.

The new weapon, today christened "V1" (V for Vergeltungswaffe -
Reprisal Weapon) by Hitler, is a low-flying bomb launched from the
Pas-de-Calais, fitted with stubby wings and a primitive pulse jet engine which
is programmed to cut out over London. The V1 then nosedives silently to earth in
15 seconds with its warhead of nearly a ton of explosive. The damage can cover a
quarter of a mile in radius, mainly by blast. Windows are shattered, and debris
lacerates anyone upright in the vicinity. Many are buried alive. The most
demoralizing factor is the moment when the engine cuts out. People stare in
silence and then fling themselves flat to wait for the explosion. The V1s are
being called "doodlebugs" or "buzz bombs" for the drone of
their engines.

The USAAF's Eighth Air Force in England flies three missions against targets
in France, primarily airfields; two B-17 Flying Fortresses are lost; fighters
fly 1,027 sorties during the day and destroy 15 locomotives, train cars, trucks
and other vehicles.

The USAAF's Ninth Air Force in England dispatches 265 B-26 Marauders to attack fuel dumps, a bridge and a railway line south of the battle area;
1,300+ fighters fly escort and top cover, and strafe and bomb troop concentrations, military vehicles, bridges, gun emplacements, tanks and
other tactical targets.

FRANCE: Rommel, Rundstedt and Hitler meet at
Soissons in the underground bunker built for the Führer in 1940, when he talked
of invading Britain. Hitler was pale and haggard; hunched on a stool, he fiddled
with his glasses as Rommel said that the struggle was hopeless against Allied
superiority in the air, at sea and on land. At least, Rommel argued, they should
pull back out of range of the Allies' devastating naval guns. The Führer would
have none of it. He blamed the two field marshals for the success of the Allied
landings, and dismissed Rommel's complaints that fuel shortages and enemy
fighter-bomber attacks ruled out a major German offensive.

They talked from 9am to 4pm, with a lunch of rice and
vegetables, which Hitler wolfed down with an array of pills. The Führer
promised that the V-1's will force Britain out of the war. There were
"masses of jet fighters" on the way to drive the enemy out of the sky.
At this point, Hitler was interrupted by Allied planes passing overhead. And
then, shortly after von Rundstedt and Rommel departed, Hitler was shaken by a
huge explosion. One of his own V1s had misfired and hit the bunker roof.

FINLAND: In the Karelian Isthmus the Finnish
troops start their withdrawal to the third line of defence, VKT-line. Their
mission is to delay the enemy on their way, in order to gain time to
transfer troops from the other parts of the Fenno-Soviet front. The 4th
Division (Maj. Gen. Aleksanteri Autti) and 3rd Brigade have already arrived
and are attached to Lt. Gen. Taavetti Laatikainen's IV Corps, and the 17th
Division (Maj. Gen. Alonzo Sundman) and 20th Brigade (Col. Armas Kemppi) are
just disembarking from trains near Viipuri. From Maaselkä Ishmus Maj. Gen.
Einar Wihma's 6th Division starts its transfer to Karelia.

However, the aggressively advancing Red Army is not complying with the plans.
The Finnish units, lacking the weapons to fight the heavy Soviet tanks,
occasionally panic. On the southernmost part of the front, the 10th Division,
which was already battered on the first days of the Soviet offensive, and the
Cavalry Brigade experience great difficulties, and the enemy breaks through
their defences. Finnish 10th Division and Cavalry Brigade receive new
commanders. Col. Kai Savonjousi [Col. Kai Savonjousi was the
first student of the Military Academy (established in 1919) to receive a
divisional command. Another example of a
succesful commander who made his career in summer 1944 was commander of the 2nd
Division Maj. Gen. Armas-Eino Martola. He became a corps commander in July, and
retired a lieutenant general after the war. He war promoted to General of
Infantry in retirement in 1982] (one of the resourceful and successful
commanders who rose to the occasion) replaces Maj. Gen. Jussi Sihvo as commander
of the 10th Division, and Col. Urho Tähtinen replaces Maj. Gen. Lars Melander
as commander of the Cavalry Brigade, which at the same time is subordinated to
Col. Savonjousi's 10th Division. He managed to infuse the battered units under
his command with new spirit, and only few days later it was Col. Savonjousi's
men who repelled the first Soviet attempts to advance west after the capture of
Viipuri. They start a disorganized retreat, and units of the Armoured
Division are sent to reinforce them. On the left flank of the IV Corps the 3rd
Brigade and 4th Division are fighting in Summa, the famous battlefield of the
Winter War.

One veteran later remembered the impression made by Col.
Savonjousi. At the time he was a private in the Infantry Regiment 1 of the 10th
Division, a unit that had been in the center of the Soviet assault on the first
days of the offensive, and suffered greatly in the retreat accross the Isthmus.
Col. Savonjousi arrived to inspect the unit during the days when battles after
the loss of Viipuri raged. After walking past the assembled men, he held a
speech. As reported by the veteran 38 years later: "From here on we won't
retreat, he said, because we can't. On the next line there are our mothers,
sisters, children and parents, whole open heart of Finland. Here we die. I have
come here to die. We are through with running, my good men. Now it's again time
to be a Finnish defender of [one's] country. If someone tries to run, I will
myself be there holding him, that's my lot." It impressed the men. "It
was no militarist speaking, but a soldier and sensible realist, a sober man, who
had been given a mission." After the war Savonjousi had a succesful career,
rising to the rank of lieutenant general (a very high rank in a peace-time army
where there's only one four-star officer in active service at a time).

To the north, on the southern shore of Lake Ladoga Lt. Gen. Hjalmar
Siilasvuo's III Corps has so far been spared the full fury of the Soviet
offensive. Now it also starts to withdraw towards the VKT-line. Its 18th
Division (Maj. Gen. Paavo Paalu) has been transferred to act as reserve near
Viipuri, and it had received Maj. Gen. Armas-Eino Martola's distinguished 2nd
Division, which had just repelled three days of Soviet attacks in Siiranmäki.
Unlike its neighbour, the III Corps's withdrawal largely goes as planned, though
the 2nd Division has to fight fierce delaying actions on its way.

Oberstleutnant Kurt Kuhlmey's Stukas and Fw 190's start
arriving at the Immola airfield in southern Finland. The unit has been formed
out of units in Lapland and Baltic region, and consists of 32 Stukas and 30 Fw
190 fighter-bombers.

ITALY: The French 9th Colonial Division lands on the island of Elba.

KURILE
ISLANDS: 12 B-25s fly three air missions for a Naval Task Force on withdrawal, following the
shelling of Kurabu Cape installations on Paramushiru Island.

MARIANAS ISLANDS: After heavy preliminary bombardment by the US Navy yesterday, the US V
Amphibious Corps (Marines) has stormed ashore on the Japanese-held island.

With an armada of 535 fighting ships and transports carrying 127,000 US
soldiers and marines, the Marianas operation is the biggest amphibious assault
of the Pacific War. Coming within two weeks of the Normandy invasion, it
highlights the enormous combat resources now available to the Allies.

The marines headed for the beaches of Saipan at 7am on 15 June. They went
ashore in a four-mile long phalanx of 600 amphibious craft. Facing them were
32,000 Japanese troops, but by tonight the beach-head was secure and the US
forces are consolidating their position. Japanese leaders realize that defeat
here is inevitable, but pride compels them to carry on to the bitter end.

Today, the 165th mounted three attacks and reached the edge of the airfield
by dusk while the 105th Infantry Regiment and the 27th Infantry Division
headquarters came ashore.

IJN aircraft mount several attacks against U.S. shipping in the Marianas:
At about 1750 hours local, five torpedo bombers, Nakajima B5N Navy Type 97
Carrier Attack Bombers, Allied Code Name "Kate," and one night
fighter, a Nakajima J1N1-S Navy Type 2 Gekko, Allied Code Name
"Irving," from Truk attack landing craft east of Saipan. One infantry
landing craft (LCI) is sunk while three "Kates" are shot down by AA
fire.

Between 1850 and 1912 hours local, 17 Kugisho D4Y Navy Carrier Bombers Suisei,
Allied Code Name "Judy," 31 Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 Carrier
Fighters, Allied Code Name "Zeke," and two P1YN Navy Bombers, based on Yap, attack Task Force 52
escort aircraft carriers The carriers scramble 46 FM Wildcats but give them the
wrong vector taking them out of the action. AA fire from the ships down several
D4Ys and both P1Ys. The escort aircraft carrier USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) is
struck by a bomb that penetrates the after elevator and explodes in midair above
the hanger deck, killing 14 and wounding 23. Fire breaks out and the fire main
is ruptured, flooding several compartments aft. In just under an hour, the
damage was brought under control, but the ship is listing 3 degrees to port and
settles 6-feet (1.8 m) by the stern.

After controlling the fires, the ship sets sail for Pearl Harbor and battle
damage repairs.

Japanese air attacks against U.S. naval ships supporting the invasion of the
Marianas Islands commence today. At about 1750 hours, five Nakajima B6N Navy Carrier Attack
Bomber Tenzans, Allied Code Name "Jill," and one Nakajima J1N1-S Navy Night
Fighter Gekko, Allied Code Name "Irving," based on Truk Atoll attack landing
craft east of Saipan; one LCI is destroyed and three B6Ns are shot down. At about 1830
hours, 17 Yokosuka D4Y Navy Carrier Bomber Suiseis, Allied Code Name "Dot," 31
Mitsubishi A6M Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighters, Allied Code Name "Zeke," and two
Yokosuka P1Y Navy Bomber Gingas, Allied Code Name "Frances," based on Yap,
damage an LST and then begin an attack on the escort aircraft carriers of Task Force 52
between 1850 and 1912 hours. The carriers launch 46 Eastern Aircraft FM Wildcats but
they are given an incorrect vector and miss the Japanese aircraft.

Gunners on the ships shoot down several "Dots" and both "Frances'"
but a bomb seriously damages USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70), At 2115 hours, a US submarine
reports that a large force of Japanese ships is headed east toward the Marianas.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Allied CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 53, United States Marines supported by elements of an
Army Infantry division have improved their positions on Saipan Island, and are
driving forward toward Aslito airdrome.

Harassment of our beachheads by enemy mortar fire has been considerably
reduced.

On the night of June 14 (West Longitude Date) enemy torpedo planes launched
an attack against our carrier force, but were repulsed without damage to our
ships. Our heavy surface units bombarded Guam Island on June 15.

Liberators of the Eleventh Army Air Force bombed Matsuwa, Paramushiru and
Shimushiru on June 14. Five enemy aircraft were airborne near Matsuwa but only
one attempted to attack our force, and did no damage. Fourteen enemy fighters
appeared over Paramushiru and several made attacks causing damage to one of our
planes. One enemy fighter was probably shot down and an enemy medium bomber was
damaged. Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Four also bombed Paramushiru
and Shimushu on June 14. Fifteen enemy fighters attacked our force, causing
minor damage to several of our aircraft.

Shimushiru was again attacked by Eleventh Army Air Force Liberators on June
15.

Army, Navy and Marine aircraft of Central Pacific Air Forces bombed
objectives in the Marshall Islands and Eastern Caroline Islands on June 13 and
15 (West Longitude Date.)

CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 54, JUNE 17, 1944

United States Marines and Army troops advancing east across the southern
portion of Saipan Island, made gains averaging 1500 yards during the night of
June 15-16 and on June 16 (West Longitude Date).

The area now held by our forces extends from a point just south of Garapan
for a distance of approximately five and one half miles to Agingan and extends
inland two miles at the point of deepest penetration. Our forces have captured
Hinashisu due east of Lake Susupe.

Our positions were under sustained enemy fire during the night of June 15-16,
and before dawn on June 16 the enemy launched a determined counter-attack. This
attack, which was broken up, cost the enemy heavily in lives and destroyed more
than 25 enemy tanks.

Early in the morning of June 16 our troops launched the offensive which
resulted in general advances. Some of our forward echelons penetrated the Naval
air base at Aslito Airdrome but were later withdrawn under severe enemy fire.

During the action on June 16 our aircraft bombed and strafed enemy positions,
and during the night of June 15-16 enemy strong points were shelled by our
ships.

On June 15 one of our destroyer transports encountered five enemy coastal
cargo ships and sank them. Twenty-nine survivors were rescued and made prisoners
of war.

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 448, As the South Pacific has become relatively
quiet, Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., U. S. Navy, has been relieved of command
of the South Pacific Area and the South Pacific Force. He will henceforth
command the Third Fleet which will operate in the Pacific Ocean in the same way
that the Fifth Fleet is operating under command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance,
USN. (Denis Peck)

Mission 207: 116 B-29s hit the Omuta urban area and three hit
alternate targets; the was the heaviest attack of the four incendiary missions
but only 0.217 sq mi (0.56 sq km), 4.1 percent of the city's area, are
destroyed.

33 P-47s from Ie Shima Island bomb and strafe shipping, the
airfield, villages, a bridge and radar and radio facilities on Amami Gunto
Island and Tokuno, Japan. During the night of 17/18 June, two P-61 Black Widows
from Ie Shima Island fly an unsuccessful (due to weather) intruder strike over
Amami Gunto and Kyushu, Japan; this begins a campaign of night and day intruder
missions over Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands by the night fighters (12 more are
flown during June).

KURILE ISLANDS: Aircraft of the Eleventh Air Force and Fleet Air Wing Four (FAW-4) fly several missions to
the Kurile Islands. Four North American B-25 Mitchells attack ships at Kataoka Naval Base
on Shimushu Island while four other B-25s fly an anti-shipping strike between Shimushu and
Paramushiru Islands sinking one ship and setting another on fire. Two B-24s attack two
ships west of Paramushiru Island and one is shot down. Five B-24s bomb Shimushu Island
damaging an ammunition dump while three other B-24s off Shimushu sink and unescorted
vessel and slight damage two other vessels.

Two Lockheed PV-2
Harpoons of FAW-4 bomb shipping in Paramushiru Straits using radar and two others bomb
Suribachi Air Field on Paramushiru Island.

CANADA: Corvettes
HMCS Cobalt and Long Branch paid off Sorel,
Province of Quebec.

Trawlers HMS Anticosti, Ironbound, Liscomb, Magdalen, Manitoulin and Miscou
paid off and returned to RN at Belfast.

Fairmiles HMC ML 060 and ML 064 paid off.

U.S.A.: General of the Army Henry H "Hap"
Arnold, Commanding General US Army Air Forces, requests of Lieutenant General
Albert C Wedemeyer, Commanding General US Forces in China, that Lieutenant
General George E Stratemeyer replace Major General Clare L Chennault as head of
USAAF units in China.